A San Fernando Valley resident has been sentenced to 61 months in federal prison for committing mail fraud and identity theft, resulting in at least $1.8 million in illicit gains. Oren David Sela, 36, of North Hills, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who mandated that Sela also pay $1,818,369 in restitution.
Sela admitted guilt in October 2024 to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He has remained in federal custody since October 2023. Between November 2021 and October 2023, Sela engaged in mail theft to acquire personal identifiable information (PII) from residents of Beverly Hills, including Social Security numbers and bank account details.
Using this stolen PII, Sela accessed victims' online financial accounts, often employing SIM-swapping to bypass security measures such as two-factor authentication. He set up fraudulent bank accounts to execute financial transfers into accounts under his control. Additionally, debit and credit cards linked to victim accounts were issued for his direct use of funds.
Sela performed numerous fraudulent financial activities, attempting to steal approximately $2.59 million and successfully obtaining around $1.82 million. His operations targeted over 62 individuals, including many elderly victims, and defrauded multiple banks. The fraudulent gains were used to purchase luxury items, including a watch valued close to $17,000.
In 2022, Sela was apprehended in Beverly Hills with $25,000 in cash, jewelry, and fraudulent cards belonging to elderly victims. Despite a subsequent release, Sela's criminal activities continued. Searches of his properties in 2022 and 2023 uncovered more than $70,000 in cash, further luxury items, stolen mail, and PII of numerous victims.
The United States Secret Service and Beverly Hills Police Department conducted the investigation. The prosecution was carried out by Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.